RESUMEN
Ocular and orbital wall cancers were recognized by the physicians of the antiquity as incurable, lethal, and non-operable malignant entities. Paul of Aegina (7(th)c AD) was the first to refer to this type of cancer and proposed only some palliative measures, while the same approach was also preserved by Theophanes Nonnus (10(th)c AD). However, two terracotta figurines of the Hellenistic period (323-30 BC) which depicted tumorous malformations in the eye area, raise a scientific debate on the matter. Hellenic art, once more contributed in a didactic way to preserve medical knowledge of the past, and served as an auxiliary tool in order to facilitate medical study.
Asunto(s)
Neoplasias del Ojo/historia , Historia Antigua , Historia Medieval , Humanos , Neoplasias Orbitales/historiaRESUMEN
Votive offerings to the healing gods were a common religious custom for the ill believers to achieve the expected cure. The dedication of votive offerings began in Prehistoric Crete and continued during the Classical Period, mainly connected with the god Asclepius. Most offerings presented healthy members, while in some rare cases a disease had been displayed. A unique votive offering, found in the Asclepieion of Corinth, presented an anomaly, bringing to light the religious beliefs of the era. The custom of votive offerings was absorbed by the Orthodox Christians and still remains a common practice.
Asunto(s)
Cultura , Mitología/psicología , Religión/historia , Antigua Grecia , Historia Antigua , Humanos , Religión y MedicinaRESUMEN
For more than 100 years, the germ theory of cancer, proposing that microorganisms were at the origin of the disease, dominated medicine. Several eminent scientists like Etienne Burnet, Mikhail Stepanovich Voronin, Charles-Louis Malassez, and Francis-Peyton Rous argued on the pathogenesis presenting their theories that implicated cocci, fungi and parasites. The impact of these theories was culminated by the Nobel Prize in 1926 that was attributed to the Danish scientist Johannes Fibiger for his work on the nematode Spiroptera as a causative agent in cancer. Even if those theories were the result of fantasy and misinterpretation, they paved the way for the scientific research in oncology.
Asunto(s)
Carcinogénesis , Células Germinativas/patología , Neoplasias/historia , Historia del Siglo XIX , Historia del Siglo XX , Humanos , Neoplasias/genética , Neoplasias/patología , Premio NobelRESUMEN
In 17th century France, the practice of obstetrics passed from female midwives to medical men called accoucheurs. François Mauriceau, a prominent French obstetrician of the 17th century urged the need of an organised obstetrical education, emphasising anatomy. He invented the semi-recumbent or 'French' birthing position, the 'tire-tête' forceps, the 'Mauriceau manoeuvre' in breech delivery, and provided one of the first epidemiological analyses in obstetrics contributing enormously to the development of this specialty. His best-seller, Traité des maladies des femmes grosses revolutionised the practice of obstetrics.
Asunto(s)
Parto Obstétrico/historia , Obstetricia/historia , Femenino , Francia , Historia del Siglo XVII , Historia del Siglo XVIII , Humanos , EmbarazoRESUMEN
In our article we present the work on uterine cancer of the distinguished physician Aretaeus of Cappadocia. Uterine cancer was known since antiquity and its presence is testified in ancient Egyptian and Greek medical writings. However in the 2nd century AD Aretaeus provided the first accurate description of uterine cancer, dividing it in two forms, an ulcerated and a non ulcerated, both painful and fatal.
Asunto(s)
Neoplasias Uterinas/historia , Femenino , Antigua Grecia , Historia Antigua , Humanos , Neoplasias Uterinas/diagnóstico , Neoplasias Uterinas/terapiaRESUMEN
In 1872, the Hungarian born dermatologist Moriz Kaposi that was practicing in Vienna first described a rare endemic disease that bears his name, among elderly persons of Central European or Mediterranean origin named "idiopathic multiple pigmented sarcoma of the skin". Ten years later the Italian dermatologist Tommaso de Amicis confirms Kaposi's findings. For more than a century the disease was known as a rare low grade malignancy till the 1980s AIDS epidemic.
Asunto(s)
Dermatología/historia , Sarcoma de Kaposi/historia , Neoplasias Cutáneas/historia , Austria , Dermatología/educación , Educación Médica/historia , Historia del Siglo XIX , HumanosRESUMEN
Bertrand Bécane, Professor of surgery in Toulouse Medical School, is considered an eminent precursor of oncology, influencing the 18th century medicine with his syphilitic theory of cancer.
Asunto(s)
Oncología Médica/historia , Neoplasias/historia , Sífilis/historia , Historia del Siglo XVIII , Historia del Siglo XIX , Humanos , Neoplasias/microbiología , Factores de Riesgo , Sífilis/complicaciones , Sífilis/microbiologíaRESUMEN
At the beginning of the 20th century, Professor Jean-Louis Faure, one of the leading surgeons of the innovative Parisian Medical School, published an exhaustive work on uterine cancer. He was the first to perform in France the procedure of total abdominal hysterectomy by median section of the uterus contributing to the evolution of cancer surgery.
Asunto(s)
Investigación Biomédica/historia , Histerectomía/historia , Oncología Médica/historia , Neoplasias Uterinas/historia , Femenino , Francia , Historia del Siglo XIX , Historia del Siglo XX , Humanos , Neoplasias Uterinas/cirugíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Louis-René Villermé's work and research have ranked him among the most important figures in the history of occupational medicine. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this article were to objectively record the influence and the impact of Villermé's life and work on the establishment of occupational medicine. METHODS: A thorough analysis of scientific and historical literature on the subject was conducted. The authors paid special attention to primary French sources. RESULTS: Louis-René Villermé was born in Paris in 10 March 1782. Taking advantage of his good fortune and financial prosperity, due to the recognition of his initial work, he progressed efficiently and with decision towards a new way of thinking. He stressed the importance of observation of the social environment, the role of investigations on lack of hygiene, the significance of statistical recording and the study of demographic statistics, and devoted himself to the labour force's health problems. He died in his homestead on 16 November 1863. CONCLUSIONS: Villermé lived an intense life full of activity, social work and travel. His support of the working classes' rights, his opposition to child labour and gender inequality, and his fight for humane conditions in prisons remain diachronic ideals. He provided a reference model for socio-medical research and contributed to the establishment of the new scientific discipline, Occupational Medicine.
Asunto(s)
Higiene/historia , Medicina del Trabajo/historia , Sociología/historia , Historia del Siglo XVIII , Historia del Siglo XIX , ParisRESUMEN
In the 17th century, iatromechanists based to the solidist theory for the lymphatic system and lymph established a new speculation for the essential role of lymph in oncogenesis, while animists gave their own views in relation to the cause of cancer. Gradually, with the rise of pathological anatomy, new more rational theories have emerged.
Asunto(s)
Transformación Celular Neoplásica , Linfa/fisiología , HumanosRESUMEN
Joseph Gensoul is considered an important figure of the 19th century Lyonnais Medical School. His contribution to maxillofacial surgery and his legendary abilities secured him a place in the history of Medicine.
Asunto(s)
Seno Maxilar/cirugía , Neoplasias de los Senos Paranasales/cirugía , Sarcoma/cirugía , Cirugía Bucal/historia , Historia del Siglo XVIII , Historia del Siglo XIX , HumanosRESUMEN
Melanoma is a neoplastic disorder produced by malignant transformation of the normal melanocyte, accounting for 4% of all skin malignancies. This malignancy was described since antiquity as a "fatal black tumour". In the 19th century, the distinguished pathologist Sir Robert Carswell coined first the term melanoma, provided its pathological description and depicted the lesion in his famous work Pathological Anatomy: Illustrations of the elementary forms of disease.
Asunto(s)
Melanoma/historia , Melanoma/patología , Historia del Siglo XVIII , Historia del Siglo XIX , HumanosRESUMEN
The eminent neurologist Clovis Vincent decided to become neurosurgeon at an advanced age. His is considered the founder of French neurosurgery and the Europe's first neurosurgeon. He was mainly interested in pituitary tumors and his work on oncologic neurosurgery remains valuable.
Asunto(s)
Neoplasias Encefálicas/cirugía , Neurocirugia/historia , Francia , Historia del Siglo XIX , HumanosRESUMEN
Among the ethnic mutilations (volunteer mutilations performed for religious, aesthetic, moral or hygienic purposes), genital mutilation (circumcision, castration, total emasculation, infibulation, excision, etc.) have always fascinated the human mind and are the subject of our historical overview.
Asunto(s)
Circuncisión Femenina/historia , Circuncisión Masculina/historia , Castración/historia , Femenino , Historia del Siglo XV , Historia del Siglo XVI , Historia del Siglo XVII , Historia del Siglo XVIII , Historia del Siglo XIX , Historia del Siglo XX , Historia del Siglo XXI , Historia Antigua , Historia Medieval , Humanos , Masculino , Religión y SexoRESUMEN
The posterior trunk of the mandibular nerve (V(3)) comprises of three main branches. Various anatomic structures may entrap and potentially compress the mandibular nerve branches. A usual position of mandibular nerve (MN) compression is the infratemporal fossa (ITF) which is one of the most difficult regions of the skull base to access surgically. The anatomical positions of compression are: the incomplete or complete ossified pterygospinous (LPs) or pterygoalar (LPa) ligament, the large lamina of the lateral plate of the pterygoid process and the medial fibres of the lower belly of the lateral pterygoid (LPt). A contraction of the LPt, due to the connection between nerve and anatomic structures (soft and hard tissues), might lead to MN compression. Any variations of the course of the MN branches can be of practical significance to surgeons and neurologists who are dealing with this region, because of possibly significant complications. The entrapment of the MN motor branches can lead to paresis or weakness in the innervated muscle. Compression of the sensory branches can provoke neuralgia or paraesthesia. Lingual nerve (LN) compression causes numbness, hypoesthesia or even anaesthesia of the mucous of the tongue, anaesthesia and loss of taste in the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, anaesthesia of the lingual gums, as well as pain related to speech articulation disorders. Dentists should be very suspicious of possible signs of neurovascular compression in the region of the ITF.
Asunto(s)
Nervio Mandibular/anatomía & histología , Síndromes de Compresión Nerviosa/diagnóstico , Base del Cráneo/anatomía & histología , Músculos Faciales/inervación , Humanos , Ligamentos/anatomía & histología , Síndromes de Compresión Nerviosa/complicaciones , Síndromes de Compresión Nerviosa/fisiopatología , Osificación Heterotópica/complicaciones , Osificación Heterotópica/diagnóstico , Osificación Heterotópica/fisiopatología , Músculos Pterigoideos/inervaciónRESUMEN
Auguste Lutaud was standing for almost half century in front of the French and International stage for his controversy and eccentric personality, his undisputed authority in gynecology, his writings and his publishing success. Thanks to his writings, he is considered as the main propagator of the prevailing ideas on uterine cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Asunto(s)
Neoplasias Uterinas/historia , Femenino , Francia , Ginecología , Historia del Siglo XIX , Historia del Siglo XX , Humanos , Neoplasias Uterinas/patología , Neoplasias Uterinas/terapiaRESUMEN
Gaspard-Laurent Bayle was a 19th century eminent clinician, pathologist, phthisiologist and statistician that deserves our attention. His very advanced oncologic conceptions rank him among the all-time great pioneers of oncology.
Asunto(s)
Oncología Médica/historia , Neoplasias/historia , Patología Clínica/historia , Historia del Siglo XVIII , Historia del Siglo XIX , Humanos , Médicos , Estadística como AsuntoRESUMEN
Professor J.C.A. Récamier (1774-1852), the undisputed founder of modern gynecologic surgery, had also excelled in the field of oncology. In particular, he performed the first successful vaginal hysterectomy for cancer; he conducted extensive research on cancer metastatic process and he was the proponent of a cancer treatment method by compression.
Asunto(s)
Procedimientos Quirúrgicos Ginecológicos/historia , Neoplasias Endometriales/cirugía , Femenino , Francia , Historia del Siglo XVIII , Historia del Siglo XIX , Humanos , Histerectomía Vaginal , Oncología MédicaRESUMEN
Professor of physiology Charles-Robert Richet, winner of the Nobel Prize in 1913, is best known for his work on anaphylaxis. However, with his collaborator Jules Héricourt studied the effects of antibody treatment and made the very first attempts to fight cancer with serotherapy. Being versatile, Richet contributed in neurology, psychology and was also a poet, playwrighter, pacifist and pioneer in aviation.
Asunto(s)
Alergia e Inmunología/historia , Inmunización Pasiva/historia , Oncología Médica/historia , Neoplasias/terapia , Premio Nobel , Anafilaxia/inmunología , Historia del Siglo XIX , Historia del Siglo XX , Humanos , Sueros InmunesRESUMEN
Dominique-Jean Larrey was a distinguished surgeon in chief of Napoleon's army and a faithful servant of the Empire. His surgical skills and inventions, his absolute attachment and devotion to his profession, his humanitarian spirit and courage entitled him as one of history's greatest military surgeons.